Ken Urker, the fiancé of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and father of their daughter, died at a Louisiana residence Thursday, his 34th birthday, authorities said.
Ken Urker, who rekindled his relationship with Gypsy Rose Blanchard in 2024, died Thursday at a residence in Raceland, Louisiana. The Lafourche Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a call at about 6:15 p.m. and that an investigation was underway.
Blanchard confirmed Urker’s death in statements to TMZ and People. She described him as an “amazing father” and said he would remain her soulmate and a deeply important part of her life.
In comments to People, Blanchard said Urker died at home from what she described as an apparent overdose.
She also said she did not know whether the overdose was intentional and that he had not been in a good state of mind recently. Authorities had not publicly established a cause of death in the information provided.
Blanchard also addressed the online attention surrounding Urker and their relationship. She said he experienced sustained harassment and scrutiny on social media and believed that the pressure had affected him.
Those comments represent Blanchard’s account; the supplied law-enforcement information did not establish a connection between online activity and Urker’s death.
Blanchard met Urker while serving a prison sentence after pleading guilty to second degree murder for her role in the 2015 killing of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard.
Urker initially contacted her after watching the documentary “Mommy Dead and Dearest,” and their correspondence developed into a relationship.
The couple became engaged in 2018 but later separated. Blanchard subsequently married Ryan Anderson in 2022. After that relationship ended, she and Urker reconciled in April 2024.
They became parents later that year when their daughter, Aurora Raina Urker, was born in December.
Blanchard said her daughter was especially important to Urker and that she would make sure Aurora grows up knowing her father and how deeply he loved her.
Blanchard said she was devastated by Urker’s death and asked for privacy and compassion for their daughter, their families and others grieving him.
The Lafourche Sheriff’s Office is investigating Urker’s death. The information provided does not include an official determination of the cause or manner of death.
